Paul Haggis Tells Scientology to Suck It

Science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard once wrote: “Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion.”

Hubbard went on to start the religion known as Scientology. He made that million dollars he was talking about.

In 1955, L. Ron Hubbard’s little church made significant headway when he inaugurated “Project Celebrity.” According to Hubbard, Scientologists should hunt celebs and bring them back to the church. Among suitable prey, Hubbard named Ernest Hemingway, Howard Hughes, Greta Garbo, Walt Disney and Groucho Marx.

“If you bring one of them home you will get a small plaque as a reward,” Hubbard wrote in a Scientology magazine.

Impervious to these and other incriminating quotes, celebrities (most notably Tom Cruise) have lined up at the Church of Scientology’s doorstep, defending it as a legitimate religion and engaging in the church’s practices of “purification rundowns” and “audits,” techniques that promise to find and delete subconscious or hidden traumas so that one can acquire God-like abilities.

Scientology is structured around Xenu, alien ruler of the Galactic Confederacy, according to their theology, who came to Earth 75 million years ago to bury his people in volcanoes. According to Xenu.net the “levels” through which a participant advances makes up what is called “The Bridge to Total Freedom.” Evolution through all the echelons of the “Bridge” often takes years of study, and the toll to cross this bridge can run a Scientologist anywhere from $300K – $500K.

Now, Oscar-winning director and screenwriter Paul Haggis, a member of the Church of Scientology for 35 years, is done with the controversial celebrity religion and has written a very public smackdown to Scientology mouthpiece Tommy Davis, who runs the Celebrity Centre in Hollywood.

Haggis’ scathing letter to Davis was made public on the blog of Marty Rathbun, an ex high powered Church of Scientology executive. The drama went down when Haggis asked Davis to denounce the San Diego division’s public support of the anti-gay marriage bill Prop 8. Davis didn’t. Haggis then read an interview in which Davis denied that Scientology enforces the practice of “disconnection” which is when members are instructed to cut off communication with loved ones not affiliated with the church. Haggis knew Davis was lying, as Haggis’ own wife had been pressured by the church to cut her parents out of her life.

In the letter to Davis, Haggis writes: “I was online doing research and chanced upon an interview clip with you on CNN. The interview lasted maybe ten minutes – it was just you and the newscaster. And in it I saw you deny the church’s policy of disconnection. You said straight-out there was no such policy, that it did not exist. I was shocked. We all know this policy exists. I didn’t have to search for verification – I didn’t have to look any further than my own home.

You might recall that my wife was ordered to disconnect from her parents because of something absolutely trivial they supposedly did twenty-five years ago when they resigned from the church. This is a lovely retired couple, never said a negative word about Scientology to me or anyone else I know – hardly raving maniacs or enemies of the church. In fact it was they who introduced my wife to Scientology. Although it caused her terrible personal pain, my wife broke off all contact with them. I refused to do so. I’ve never been good at following orders, especially when I find them morally reprehensible. For a year and a half, despite her protestations, my wife did not speak to her parents and they had limited access to their grandchild. It was a terrible time.”

For an organization that has been connected to money and movie stars almost from its beginning, this public flogging from a big Hollywood A-lister is a big deal. In addition, there have been rumblings that John Travolta has been unhappy with the organization since the tragic death of his 16-year-old son Jett this past summer. And just last week news broke that little Suri Cruise, daughter of Scientology golden boy Tom Cruise, will be attending Catholic school. Will Paul Haggis’ letter of dissent begin a domino effect of celebrities jumping furiously off the Scientology bandwagon? Sports Interaction’s entertainment betting has Scientology odds on whether or not this is going to become a Hollywood trend. With odds on those wacky Presley girls, Kirstie Alley, Katie Holmes, Beck, John Travolta and many other Xenu-loving celebs, now you can make some cold hard cash on who will be next to fold. Because, really, why should Scientologists be the guys making all the money?